MCLEAN, Va. — RollStream Inc. is offering a program to help pharmacy chains and other retailers join its Certificate Exchange Network (CEN), developed with assistance from the National Association of Chain Drug Stores to facilitate compliance with the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA).

A provider of enterprise community management software-as-a-service (SaaS) solutions, RollStream said this week that the CEN Retailer Enablement Program is designed to help retailers understand how the new legislation affects them and how best to get their trading partners in the network.

"Joining the more than 50,000 suppliers, manufacturers and distributors in the RollStream community, many NACDS retailers and manufacturers have become part of the CEN to demonstrate their commitment to product safety and compliance and, ultimately, reduce the risk of noncompliance that could adversely impact their brand and reputation," RollStream chief executive officer Kristin Muhlner said in a statement.

The CEN is an online network of retailers, manufacturers and distributors of consumer products designed to allow the exchange of General Certificates of Conformity (GCCs) to indicate compliance with the CPSIA. The network is intended to help businesses boost efficiency and effectiveness of their CPSIA compliance efforts, reduce risks and minimize costs, according to RollStream.

The network aims to facilitate certificate exchange for retailers and manufacturers to show CPSIA compliance.

Using this technology, manufacturers can directly post GCCs to the network or provide links to certificates stored on their web site. With a user-friendly browser interface, retailers can securely download any product certificate needed to demonstrate CPSIA compliance within seconds, enabling retailers and manufactures to lower their risk of noncompliance, RollStream said.

The technology provider has been working with NACDS to provide its members access to the CEN for free. Beginning in November, in conjunction with NACDS, RollStream hosted webinars on best practices for retailers and manufacturers in preparing for the CPSIA compliance deadline.

Enacted in August 2008, the CPSIA imposes new product safety testing and information sharing requirements on certain consumer products. Noncompliance can result in substantial government fines and negatively impact a company’s brand.

The deadline for compliance with products affected by the act was Feb. 10, 2010, and although the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) granted a one-year stay of testing and certification requirements for certain products to Feb. 10, 2011, many products remain affected by the legislation, RollStream noted.

All affected products must be accompanied by GCCs, in paper or electronic form, showing that the product has been tested and meets appropriate safety standards, such as child-resistant packaging on products like acetaminophen, batteries, cosmetics and mouthwash.

The full list of products requiring GCCs is available on the CPSC web site at http://www.cpsc.gov/businfo/reg1.html.